Throwing a pie in the face of Canada's fisheries minister to protest the seal hunt should earn animal rights group Peta a "terrorist" label, a Canadian lawmaker said Tuesday.

A seal hunt protester hit Fisheries Minister Gail Shea with a cream pie on Monday as she gave a speech in Burlington, Ontario.

The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, later claimed responsibility for the incident.

Opposition lawmaker Gerry Byrne urged for an investigation into the incident that also takes into account Shea's position as a top government official.

"When someone actually coaches or conducts criminal behaviour to impose a political agenda on each and every other citizen of Canada, that does seem to me to meet the test of a terrorist organisation," Byrne told VOCM radio station.

"I am calling on the government of Canada to actually investigate whether or not this organisation, Peta, is acting as a terrorist organisation... under Canadian law."

Peta officials dismissed Byrne's comments as a "silly, chest-beating exercise".